Award Information
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2022, $600,000)
June 20, 2022
The City of Eugene intends to apply for the Category 2: Enhancement Community Court Grant Project ID C-BJA-2022-00132-PROD.
Current Program Overview
The Eugene Community Court was established September 2016 following more than two years of planning and preparation. This court was established in response to a community needs survey conducted in March 2014 that reflected public safety concerns concentrated in Eugene’s downtown core. The program recently expanded its geographic limits to the entirety of the City of Eugene and has made significant capital improvements including new facilities to increase capacity and services. The Expanded Community Court will operate out of the lower floor of the Eugene Municipal Court, located at 1102 Lincoln St, Eugene, Oregon, 97401.
The Eugene Community Court mission is to enhance community trust and quality of life by promoting participant accountability and providing links to individualized services. The program’s long-term goals are to improve safety and the quality of life for all community members in downtown Eugene; reduce re-offending, enhance trust of the community in the justice system and increase efficiency.
Eugene’s Community Court Objectives are to reduce time from cite/arrest to first appearance and from first appearance to treatment; allow participants will have a voice throughout the Community Court process, assist participants with responsible program participation through an individualized service plan, use evidence based practices to determine appropriate level’s of supervision by identifying participant’s risk of reoffending and individual needs and build a network of community partners.
Project Overview
In May 2019, the City of Eugene Municipal Court (EMC) contracted with the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) to perform an independent, professional program evaluation and impact assessment services for the City of Eugene Community Court (ECC) to include process evaluation and impact and cost-benefit evaluation. One of the primary recommendations was to strengthen services for moderate-high and high-risk individuals.
The City of Eugene intends to enhance high risk tier participants in community court to include 1) more robust treatment services through a sub contract or direct hire and 2) provide immediate short term housing exclusively for community court participants utilizing the cities already proven Conestoga Hut model.
The greatest need for community court participants is IMMEDIATE safe and secure housing. This grant will foster increased success in community court in an urban environment that has the highest per capita unhoused rate in the United States.